Articles & News Tagged “Sharks”

Articles

Underwater image maker Tanya Houppermans has shared an article about a new citizen science project that aims to use images of sharks to assists scientists to study sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus). The site allows photographers to load images and then they can be tracked via subsequent images of the animal.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced that they are revising the regulations governing land based shark angling in the state. The goal is to restrict “cruel and unnecessary” handling practices that causes fatalities among protected shark species even when they are released. There is a series on public workshops about the issue and comments can also be submitted online.

A new species of dogfish shark, discovered in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean has been named Squalus clarkae in honor of Eugenie “Genie” Clark. Eugenie Clark was a pioneer in shark biology and was one of the first women of prominence in the then male dominated field of marine biology.

A new exhibit at the New York Aquarium opened this past weekend, and it is all about sharks. The 57,000 square foot and $158 million addition is called Ocean Wonders: Sharks! The addition comes as much the aquarium is still rebuilding from being hit by hurricane Sandy. The new addition of the aquarium, which is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, has been in the works for the past 14 years. The goal of the addition was to educate visitors about the vital role sharks play in our oceans.

In a newly published study, scientists have shown that shark may prefer the regular beat of jazz music over classical music. Experts have long hypothesized that sharks associated the noise of a boat’s engine with food after many years of being fed. In this study, scientists trained port jackson sharks to follow music played at one end of a fish tank for a food reward. The results of the study illustrate a lot about what sharks are capable of.

In a recently published paper scientists have shown the benefits and potential applications of dermal denticles. Shortfin mako sharks are the fastest sharks in the ocean, with speeds of up to 60 mph, and their skin is lined with dermal denticles. Scientists from Harvard and the University of South Carolina teamed up to see if these denticles actually helped. They found that the denticles not only reduced drag, but they increased lift. The research could have implications for many vehicular applications.

A paper published in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal investigates the mating behavior of the endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini). Based on observations from the Isla de Coco National Park, Costa Rica, the study utilized video of sharks copulating. (

A paper published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series contrasts the behavior of reef sharks that inhabit areas with high numbers of divers, with that of sharks that do not come onto contact with many divers. Undertaken at the Palmyra atoll, the study concludes that long term shark numbers and behavior is not really affected by the presence of divers.

he World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released guidelines entitled “Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice.” It aims to create well managed shark and ray tourism operations, conserve species and benefit local communities. The guide bases its findings on a case study basis which interestingly, do not include any of the common shark diving sites in the Bahamas, whilst suggesting that the interaction regulations in place during Mexico’s whale shark aggregation are adequate.